Many of Armenia’s most famous Christian monasteries are dramatically situated amid towering cliffs or on precipitous mountainsides with panoramic views across the rugged landscapes of the Lesser Caucasus. In ancient times, accessing these centres of study and worship required the laborious construction of steep footpaths and rock-hewn steps from neighbouring communities, and many such routes […]

The Geghama Mountains are an imposing chain of volcanic domes that bisects Armenia from north to south. For most of the year they are impenetrable due to a thick layer of snow. But come June, as snow starts to melt, the country’s tent-dwelling Yezidi nomads drive their cattle from lowland plains to graze beneath the […]

A quick heads-up that the new Bradt Travel Guide to Armenia, whose 5th edition I’ve co-authored, has arrived in the warehouse and will be shipping from today! Click here to order direct from the publisher at a 10% discount over the cover price. But how did I suddenly manage to add ‘guidebook author’ to my […]

A very quick heads-up that places on the Transcaucasian Trail group fundraising hikes in 2019 are now available. Click here for the dates and details and, if the fancy takes you, to register your participation. I’ve been helping design and promote these treks for the last couple of years, and they’ve proved to be a […]

Much of my energy this year has been devoted to a massive overhaul of the Bradt Travel Guide to Armenia. This weekend Bradt are offering a 50% discount on pre-orders of the book if you order direct through their website, so I thought I’d give you a heads-up! Click here to check out the deal. […]

Last weekend I flew to London for the annual Explore expedition planning conference at the Royal Geographical Society (the one chance I get to catch up with a lot of people I wish I saw more often). On the Sunday I joined the expedition photography workshop to share my thoughts on the storytelling medium of the still […]

The experience of exploring Armenia on foot is characterised by three things: an abundance of breath-taking landscapes, being invited in by locals to drink homemade oghi (vodka), and stumbling upon at least one ancient church or monastery per day. Dilijan National Park – part of the forested northeastern province of Tavush – is no exception to […]

Today I’m helping launch a crowdfunding campaign to produce the Republic of Armenia’s first ever 1:25,000-scale topographical hiking map. Will you chip in in exchange for a copy? Click here to visit the IndieGoGo page and make your pledge → And here’s my behind-the-scenes story of how I got involved in the whole thing: A […]

Given the title of this article, you might be expecting to read a list post designed as clickbait for bored tech startup founders in co-working spaces in Chiang Mai, probably written by an underpaid copywriter who’s never been to Yerevan and has dashed off this piece after an hour or two of Googling. Not quite. […]

People keep asking me for camera recommendations for travel videos and adventure films. Here’s one: the Canon XC10. (With a few accessories, on which more later.) Both Leon and I are shooting on this camera right now. Indeed, we’ve both worked our way through the exact same progression of cameras over the years. First came the Sony HVR-A1E, which […]

Hi! I’m Tom.

I’m a self-unemployed creative explorer, author and filmmaker, specialising in Armenia & the Caucasus. Here’s where I share my personal journey as a world traveller, storyteller and advocate for the outdoors. More »

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